This year's flu season has been the busiest on record for the Queensland Ambulance Service, with desk workers forced to go on the road to cope with demand.
More than 35,000 Queenslanders have been struck down with influenza in 2017.
QAS medical director Stephen Rashford said paramedics across the state had experienced a "surge of 20 per cent" in recent weeks.
"We always get a surge in the winter months each year but this is significantly higher than we've ever faced before and we think it's very likely due to the influenza that has struck down Queenslanders," he said on Wednesday.
"This has been our busiest year on record so far and it continues to have a very high workload."
Dr Rashford said QAS managers and desk workers had returned to paramedic duties to meet the increased demand.
"We're putting as many people on the road as possible," he said.
"When it's a prolonged surge as it has been for the last three or four weeks that has a significant impact on our staff because our staff also have sickness and we have to take that into consideration."
Doctor Andrew Jeremijenko has called for mandatory vaccinations for all healthcare workers so they don't spread viruses like the flu to patients.
"It doesn't matter how much education we give to our doctors and our nurses - unfortunately not all of them will get flu vaccinated and a lot of them will turn up sick," he told ABC radio on Wednesday.
Dr Rashford said paramedics and students were required to be vaccinated against all "transmissible diseases" listed in the Australian guidelines.
The flu vaccination is recommended and not mandatory for staff, but it is an issue that is being looked at.
A 14-year-old girl from Mackay continues to fight for life in a Brisbane hospital after she was struck down with the flu and other illnesses.
Mercedes King was airlifted to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital and has been diagnosed with Influenza B, Pneumonia, Sepsis and an unidentified bacterial infection.
